The Alcohol Breakdown

Buying Alcohol For Your Wedding

When planning your wedding reception, one question always seems to make a couple stumble. How much alcohol should we order? Unfortunately there isn't a golden number, but we are here to offer some advice on how to manage your alcohol logistics.

I. KNOW YOUR CROWD

Take note of what your guests prefer to drink and who will indulge in the alcoholic beverages. If only half of your guests drink and prefer the taste of wine, then adjust accordingly and remove beer, tequila, etc. from the menu.

II. TYPES OF BARS

The three common types of wedding bars include, beer and wine only, full bar and something in between known as a modified full bar. Take a look at the bar breakdown below from A Practical Wedding:

III. LIABILITY INSURANCE

If you are providing the alcohol for your wedding, do your research. It's best practice to make sure you have all of your bases covered. There are plenty of insurance companies that specialize in this type of thing, and homeowners can usually put a rider on their homeowner's policy for the event.

IV. QUICK NOTES

How many drinks are in a bottle?A bottle of champagne fills six to eight glasses. A bottle of wine fills four glasses. A liter bottle of liquor makes about 18 drinks.A keg of beer fills 165 glasses.

How many bottles are in a case?A case of wine contains 12 bottles.A case of beer contains 24 bottles or cans.

Don't forget about your non-drinkers! Make sure you stock up on non-alcoholic options as well.

If you're planning on serving cocktails or mixed drinks, you will need plenty of ice. Talk with your venue to see if ice is included in their package.